Note: The following speech was written and read by Gina Nicholas, Keweenaw County citizen and chairperson of the Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District, speaking on behalf of the core partners at the Brockway Mountain Summit dedication on August 13, 2013. The core partners were Ed Kisiel and later Rich Probst, Eagle Harbor Township supervisors; Doug Sherk, Eagle Harbor Township Parks Committee; Dana Richter, Copper Country Audubon; Evan McDonald, Keweenaw Land Trust; Jeff Knoop, The Nature Conservancy; and Gina Nicholas, Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District.*

By Gina Nicholas

The Brockway Mountain story combines the ancient tale of Mother Nature’s wondrous creation with the recent one of how farsighted individuals, the community and many working together can serve the needs of society and protect the beauty and integrity of the natural world.

A billion years ago, shifting plates crashed together creating a rift fault with deep cracks in the earth’s crust. A series of lava flows emerged and formed the Lake Superior basin from Isle Royale to the Keweenaw Peninsula. Eons of geologic events, glaciers, time and weather sculpted this coastal ridge of which Brockway Mountain is a part.

This topography of basalt, conglomerate and sandstone is the canvas for the mosaic of native habitats you see from where we stand. Flora and fauna evolved over time and thousands of native plant and animal species call these forests, balds and wetlands home. The Peninsula’s position as a bony finger of land jutting into Lake Superior also make this Keweenaw Coastal Wildlife Corridor important to migratory species -- raptors, water fowl, passerines, bats and insects.

Ancient Native Americans, and later the Anishinaabe, used the land lightly for its abundance of wild berries and game. They discovered the red metal copper and used it for tools and trade. Hundreds of years later the United States formed and its pioneers moved beyond the eastern seaboard. Horace Greeley said, "Go west young man, go west." While some thought he meant the California Gold Rush, he was really talking about the UP for Copper. Keweenaw County’s highest mountain visible to the southwest was named for Greeley.

In the 1840s Douglass Houghton and other geologists explored and documented the mineral riches of the Keweenaw. Mt. Houghton, just visible to the southeast, was named after Houghton, Michigan’s first State Geologist.

Miners and settlers followed including Daniel and Lucena Brockway. Brockway was a mine agent at Cliff, a business man, served as a postmaster, road commissioner and opened the first school in Copper Harbor. At that time, Keweenaw County was the heart of the Copper Boom.

By the early 1900s mines at Quincy and Calumet and Hecla had supplanted the earlier mines on the north end.

A new industry -- tourism -- was emerging. The National Park System, urbanization, the loss of wilderness and mass-production of affordable automobiles all contributed to scenic road trips becoming the popular family vacations. Michigan, rich with beautiful natural features, established public beaches, campgrounds and wilderness areas. Landscape architect Warren H. Manning is credited with first suggesting a scenic drive along this ridge in the 1920s.

The Great Depression hit in 1929 and miners and many others were out of work. These men had hungry families to support, and federal efforts to create a safety net were mired in political wrangling.

The Keweenaw County Road Commission -- Ocha Potter, William Hartman and William Bolley and engineer Clem Veale -- took the lead in organizing a local project that would give many productive work and build something of lasting benefit for the community. Manning’s concept to build a scenic highway along this coastal rocky ridge was resurrected in 1932. Construction began in 1933. This road was built by the manual labor of many men. Road Commission employment increased -- from about 70 to 700 -- to give meaningful work to as many as possible. Although the rock walls came later, the road itself was completed in October 1933 and named "Brockway Mountain Drive." While the builders’ names are long forgotten, their work -- Brockway Mountain Drive -- is here for the benefit of all of us today. Our project was possible only because of theirs.

During 1934-35, Harold Wescoat purchased the 320-acre summit and built the original "Skytop Inn." Brockway Mountain has been in the Wescoat family for three, going on four, generations, and, although private land, has always been open to the public.

Clyde and Lloyd Wescoat had foresight and realized how important Brockway Mountain was to the community and the environment. In 2010, rather than sell to developers who would subdivide and alter the land, Clyde called The Nature Conservancy. TNC knew this should be a local project, so Jeff Knoop called together the locals -- a.k.a core team: Eagle Harbor Township, Keweenaw Land Trust, Copper Country Audubon and the Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District -- to find a way to permanently protect Brockway Mountain.

However, the Trust Fund grant required a 25 percent local match. The core team, with help from Houghton to Copper Harbor and across the State, got the word out that donations were needed to Save Brockway Mountain. Hundreds and hundreds of people -- from local areas, Michigan, most states and even foreign countries -- sent donations, wrote articles, told friends, penned thank you notes, filled out forms, documented history and geology, took photographs, did the legal work pro bono and made contributions in uncountable ways. The project started in late 2010 and Brockway Mountain summit was acquired by Eagle Harbor Township in February 2013.

On the summit of Brockway Mountain, before cutting the ribbon on the sign, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (standing left of sign) speaks at the Aug. 13, 2013, dedication of the Brockway Mountain parcel, now part of Eagle Harbor Township -- protected for conservation and open to the public for recreation. (Photo courtesy Bonnie Hay, Gratiot Lake Conservancy executive director.)

Just like the many that built Brockway Mountain Drive 80 years ago this year, we also worked together and got the job done. The summit of Brockway Mountain is permanently protected. Our names may be forgotten, but our work will stand for future generations to enjoy thanks to all of you!

My hope is that 80 years from now our grandchildren, great-grandchildren and others will be here to take in the views of Lake Superior and the Keweenaw Coastal Wildlife Corridor, to see the constellations, Milky Way and the Northern Lights in the night sky, to count raptors flying down the valley as they rise on the updrafts, and to enjoy this unique, beautiful and ecologically rich place called Brockway Mountain. I also hope that our heirs continue the Keweenaw legacy of farsighted conservation for the benefit of man and nature.

* Author's Note: Clyde Wescoat, "The Brockway Mountain Drive Story" by Paul Lavanway, geologist Bill Rose, the Keweenaw Coastal Wildlife Corridor proposal prepared by Ed Kisiel, and other online research the author forgot to document were used or contributed oral information for this article. Thanks Everyone!

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Slide Show: Christmas in Calumet 2016

Christmas in Calumet continues this Saturday, Dec. 10, with wagon rides, visits with Santa at the Vertin Gallery, and more. Click on the photo above to see our slide show of Calumet on Dec. 3: the Poor Artists Sale, Santa, and art gallery exhibits. Click on any photo and follow the arrows. To read captions, click on the info icon.

Local group to stand vigil for Standing Rock Dec. 8

The local group Copper Country and Keweenaw Standing For Standing Rock invites concerned citizens to show solidarity with the Water Protectors and Veterans at Standing Rock in North Dakota in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Participants will gather at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, walk down to Wells Fargo on College Avenue/US 41, peacefully stand vigil for divestment from Energy Transfer Partners, then return to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. They will then conduct a Prayer Circle from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. All interested community members are welcome to join the group at any time during the event. Please make a sign to bring attention to this issue that affects us all. Suggested sign messaging includes: Wells Fargo Divest, Stand With Standing Rock, Water Is Life, No DAPL. The group will also be accepting donations throughout this event to be sent out to the Water Protectors. Winter survival donations (including snow removal tools, snow shovels/scoops/snowblowers) take priority. For specific ideas, follow this link:http://sacredstonecamp.org/supply-list/

Reminder: Meeting on Popular Vote Dec. 8

The National Popular Vote (NPV) Compact, a "way around" the Electoral College, will be examined in a program by The League of Women Voters of the Copper Country to be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, in the community room of the Portage Lake District Library in Houghton. Click here for details.

+News Briefs / Announcements

Noteworthy, the Copper Country's only women's barbershop chorus, will perform its annual Christmas concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hancock. "A Noteworthy Christmas" also features a vocal ensemble from Hancock High School. There is no charge for admission, and a free-will offering will be taken to benefit Copper Country Habitat for Humanity. Noteworthy will perform a program ranging from the lighthearted "It’s a Marshmallow World" to devout songs of the Christmas story. Among them is a richly layered rendition of "Mary, Mary" with a calypso beat and "The Birthday of a King." Other holiday favorites on the program include "Christmas Dreams," "Jingle Bell Jazz," "What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?" and the nostalgic "Marvelous Toy." For more information on Noteworthy, contact Joan Petrelius at 906-482-5088 or petreliusj@cts.k12.mi.us.......Family and support people for individuals living with serious mental illness such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, can register for a free course from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)/Keweenaw Area chapter. The series of 12 sessions is structured to help caregivers understand and support individuals while maintaining their own well-being. The course, designated an evidence-based practice by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is taught by a team of trained NAMI family member volunteers who know what it is like to have a loved one struggling with one of these brain disorders. Classes will be held from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. starting Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, in Houghton. They are for support people only. Pre-Registration is required and is open now. Call Bill or Barry Elizabeth Fink at 482-4632.......Do you participate in a book group? The Portage Lake District Library is creating a list of local book groups for all ages and would like to hear about yours. Useful information includes the name of your group and contact person, a theme if you have one, and dates and time that you meet. Please also say if your book group is for adults, teens, or grade school students. For more information, please call Chris at the library at 482-4570.......Storytime for the school year at the Portage Lake District Library is held from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. every Wednesday and Thursday. Young children are invited to come for stories, craft projects, occasional music, and lots of fun. For special Storytimes on Saturdays, please look for announcements on library posters and on the library’s website. Children are also encouraged to use the Children’s Listening Center at the library to enjoy music, foreign languages, and stories on CDs. Up to four people at a time can use the equipment, including parents who want to help their children learn another language or simply enjoy music or a good book together. Please ask a librarian to help you get started. All library programs are free and everyone is welcome. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570.......HEET (Houghton Energy Efficiency Team) is planning a 2016 Winterization Campaign and Efficiency Challenge. Local businesses, organizations and church groups are getting involved. HEET has moved into a new office in Hancock at 422 Quincy St. in Hancock. Click here for info.

Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club

Houghton County Democratic Party

Waste Management Garbage and Recycling new schedule for Hancockstarted on Sept. 12, 2016.- All items need to be out by 7 a.m.-Weekly same day pick up for garbage and recycling (using a new dual garbage truck)-Pick Up Day Change affects some neighborhoods:-East of Elevation Street will be on Monday.-West of Elevation Street will be on Wednesday.*Pick up for residents living on Elevation, S. Elevation and N. Elevation Streets will be on WEDNESDAY.-Any container will work for recycling. Some people are painting or taping (recycling) on the bins they now use or you can purchase a new recycling bin from McGann’s or Risto’s.-Single stream will continue for all items including glass and clean pizza boxes!-Service is also available to small commercial.-The City still has a recycling drop off at the DPW Garage (1601 Tomasi Drive)QUESTIONS: Call Bill Marlor, DPW, 482-1480 or Glenn Anderson, City Manager, 482-1121.Click here for Waste Management's new list of acceptable and unacceptable items for recycling.Thank you for your participation.

Slide Show: 2015 Parade of Nations

Click on the photo above to access this slide show. Then click on the first photo and follow the right arrows. To view the captions click on the info icon.

Slide Shows: Family fun with science, more ...

Our recent slide shows highlight the Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival (KSEF) and Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) community events held Aug. 4 - 6, 2016; the 2016 Keweenaw Science Fair winners honored by Carnegie Museum; and the Lake Superior Celebration at GLRC in April 2016.

The new slide shows can be accessed as follows: Click here or on the photo above for the slide show of the Aug. 5, 2016, Keweenaw Water Festival at Michigan Tech's Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC). Click here for the Aug. 4 and Aug. 6 Keweenaw Science and Engineering (KSEF) family events held in Houghton's Kestner Waterfront Park, and click here for photos of some 2016 Science Fair winners and highlights of the April 26, 2016, Lake Superior Celebration sponsored by the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, Michigan STEM Partnership, the Copper Country Recycling Initiative and more. For each slide show, click on the first photo in the album and click the info icon in the top right corner for the caption. Then click on forward arrows to view the photos as a slide show.

Copyright Policy

For our copyright policy, please click here or email us if you wish to use any of the photos or video clips by Keweenaw Now. Photos by guest photographers are copyrighted and you must seek their permission for re-use. This policy applies to the photos in our slide shows as well. Please do not share photos taken by guest photographers without their permission.

Eagle Rock, 2010: Slide show

In May 2010, concerned Native and non-Native citizens camped, prayed and planted a garden at Eagle Rock, an Ojibwa sacred site, which was blasted for the portal to the Rio-Tinto-Kennecott Eagle Mine. The mine, now in operation, was sold to Lundin Mining Corporation of Toronto. Click on photo above to access a photo album on Eagle Rock protests in May 2010. Click on the first photo in the album and then on the info icon to view captions if they are not visible on the right. To view the photos as a slide show, click on the forward arrows.

Keweenaw Now is on TWITTER. Scroll down this column to see our latest Tweets.

Save the Wild UP

Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve

Friends of the Land of Keweenaw

Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition

The Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition's mission is protecting and maintaining the unique environmental qualities of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by educating the public and acting as a watchdog to industry and government. Visit UPEC on Facebook.

Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District

HKCD's 2016 Tree Sale has found a home for every tree and plant. Gina Nicholas, HKCD president, thanks the volunteers and friends who helped make the sale a success. HKCD donated some plants and trees to the school gardens at Calumet, Chassell and Houghton. "It is great that the schools are helping children gain first hand experience about gardening and where the food we eat comes from," Nicholas said.

Save the Water's Edge

Portage Lake District Library

Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts

Finlandia University

Stewards of Bete Grise Preserve

A Rascal's Craft

The poetic musings of Eelu Kiviranta, a Finnish immigrant and self-proclaimed rascal. Side-by-side Finnish with English translation by Lillian Lehto. Introduction by Steve Lehto. Includes "The Copper Country Strike of 1913." Available from Amazon or the translator, 1419 Yosemite, Birmingham, MI 48009, $19.95. Click on cover to see Youtube video.

Distant Drum

Original clothing and wall pieces custom designed and sewn by Andrea Puzakulich in the Keweenaw for 25 years. Distant Drum is located in Hancock's Historic E.L.Wright Bldg. Open most weekday afternoons. Call ahead.

Calumet Art Center

Click above to learn about new classes starting in February 2016.

New edition of book by Steve Lehto

Click on book cover to access Steve's Facebook page on the Italian Hall disaster.

Red Circle Consulting

Mike Lahti at State Farm

Copper Country Community Arts Center

Keweenaw BEST!

Michigan League of Conservation Voters

What Is Sustainable

Author Richard Adrian Reese recounts how his life took a new direction after 9 years of simple living in the Keweenaw -- and offers a new worldview for a sustainable future.

Welcome to Keweenaw Now!

Welcome to our Keweenaw Now blog. This site, the sequel to the Web site www.keweenawnow.com, officially began on September 1, 2007. The Blogger format allows you, our readers, to comment on any post. Read our articles here and send us your comments and suggestions! Your comment will come to us on email (without showing your email address) and as long as it's not objectionable we will post it on the article page. Please note: Right now the comments do not appear on the home page; but, if you click on the headline of an article, it will go to the article's own (archive) page, where comments do appear and where you can reply to them. Click on the comment link below the article to send us a comment. Sometimes the number of comments is indicated on that link on the home page. It may take some time for it to appear.

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Iraq death count

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More stories in our Archives ...

If you missed one of our previous articles, you can find all of them archived through links in the right-hand column. Click on the week you missed, and the headlines of articles for that week will appear as links you can click on to read the story on its own page.